Declaration of the Powers Concerning the Final Partition
of Poland (1795)

[excerpted from Readings in Modern European History,
James Harvey Robinson and Charles Beard, eds. (Boston:Ginn and Company,
1908), pp. 57-58]

The efforts which her Imperial Majesty has been obliged to take in order
to repress and stifle the revolt and insurrection which broke out in Poland
through the spread of the most pernicious doctrines, so dangerous for the
tranquillity of the neighboring powers, have been crowned with the most
happy and complete success, and Poland has been entirely pacified and conquered
by the arms of the Empress. Her Majesty, with a confidence founded upon
the justice of her cause, and the means which she resorted to, to assure
its triumph, had previously hastened to come to an agreement with her two
allies, his Majesty the Emperor of the Romans and his Majesty the King of
Prussia, upon the most efficient measures to be taken in order to prevent
a revival of such disorders as those which had so justly alarmed them, and
of which the germs, continually fermenting in the minds of those who were
profoundly imbued with the most perverse principles, could hardly fail to
develop sooner or later unless they were prevented by a firm and vigorous
government.

These two sovereigns, convinced by past experience of the absolute incapacity
of the republic of Poland to give itself such a government, or to live peacefully
under its laws so long as it maintained any degree of independence, have
in their wisdom and in their love for peace and the happiness of their subjects,
reached the conclusion that it was indispensably necessary to have recourse
and proceed to a complete partition of this republic among the three neighboring
powers. Having learned their views and finding these perfectly in harmony
with her own, her Imperial Majesty of all the Russias determined to negotiate
first with each of the two high allies above mentioned, separately, and
then with the two together, in regard to a definite agreement as to the
respective portions which should fall to each as a result of their common
resolution.